Thursday, May 18, 2017

This is what a soundtrack sounds like. Chris Cornell's "you know my name" which served as the soundtrack for the bond film " Casino Royale.

Chris Cornell just passed today and his wonderful voice and soul that he poured into this song will live forever. When James Bond needed to be rebooted, to catch up to today's world, it was Cornell's song that proved the icing on the cake. It was delivered with such gusto and bravado, as if he was Bond.

* Gov. Christie showing his dramatic chops by asking the crowd a question and getting the answer he wanted

* Trump just knocked out Paul and his hair cut with a T.K.O.

* Paul jabs back and Trump knocks him out again!!!!
* Jeb Bush and Fiorina afraid to answer the question about Trump and if he is qualified to have his finger on the nuclear button.
* Other candidates ganging up on Trump to end his momentum.
* Christie vs Carson (the governor vs the doctor) Christie bringing the heat so far
* Carson has low energy, he needs to rev up the engine a little
*Fiorina looks ready to challenge the status quo. She is the outsider!!!!!!

* Jeb Bush T.K.O on Trump and Trump looks like that shook him a little. Bush makes it clear he doesn't want Trump's money
* Trump and Bush about to come to blows on camera.....SECURITY!!!!!!
* Are Rubio and Cruz still on stage???
* Trump swears Russian President Putin will respect him
* Rubio is in the house and doesn't trust Putin
* Fiorina looks the most presidential so far, no petty fighting with other candidates...bringing the heat with all her proposed solutions to middle east and Russia
* Cruz will rip up Iran deal to shreds
* Paul is back and proposing not closing relations with China and Russia as others have proposed
* Walker wants China state visit cancelled because of the Chinese hacking attack on America??? Proof????
* Hukabee storms back in and he is not taking no for an answer
* Rubio was cramming last night, he expands on why he didn't vote to send troops to Syria.
* Cruz and Rubio seem to follow each other through this debate.....was that by design?

* Walker very passionate, still don't know about what particularly, but he did ride with Reagan on the plane behind him
* Hukabee supports and defends clerk that refused to issue same sex marriage licenses
* Bush agrees with Hukabee....kinda....can't really tell.
*Christie takes a shot at Hillary Clinton....and won't stop
* Fiorina again seems to have done her homework...she is showing her CEO experience by giving specific solutions for planned parenthood gets the loudest applause so far
* Trump brings North Korea into the convo.....nobody asked him about that....and Trump promises to take care of women....whatever that means
*Fiorina was asked about Trump's comment about her face. Fiorina responds that all women heard what he said.....BOOM!!!! T.K.O....crowd goes nuts with loud applauds

INTERMISSION

* Trump will send the illegal gangs back to where they came from with no real solution except for building a wall to stop illegal immigrants
* Christie has more practical and specific solutions
* Carson also doesn't agree with Trump. He feels a double fence with a narrow path way is a better option
* Bush demands an apology from Trump for insulting his Latina wife...Trump refuses to but says she is a lovely woman
*Trump gets applause for saying in America we speak English not Spanish

(Wierd that 15 mins into the debate on immigration, the two Latino candidates are just being asked....shouldn't they be the first asked?) They all agree illegal immigrants are a problem.

* Trump is against birthright citizenship
* Fiorina blames Obama administration and lack of action on birthright citizenship despite democratic majority
* Paul agrees with Trump!!!!! What?!
* Trump reminded of his comment that Fiorina ran her former company to the ground
* Fiorina defends her leadership at Heward Packard and reminds us that Trump ran his casinos to the ground
* Christie doesn't want to hear about Trump and Fiorina's career and tells Fiorina not to interrupt him...damn.!!!!!
* Hukabee against tax on hedge fund guys
* Carson is so likable, Trump can't even attack him, even when given a chance to
* Trump wants the hedge fund guys to pay more taxes
* Walker doesnt feel raising the minimum wage is neccasary, Carson wants 2 wage stages???? Don't understand that....
* Kasich will not attack democratic candidate Hillary Clinton
* Fiorina just smashed Clinton's accomplishment as Secretary of State.... Stating that flying around is not an accomplishment...BOOM!!!!!!

INTERMISSION

* Rubio calls North Korean leader a lunatic and Putin a gangster
* Trump is winging it about foreign affairs matters
* Rubio responds to Trumps attack on his voting record
* Bush is his own man and proves it by not mentioning his brother or father by name
* Trump just got smashed by Bush who is defending his brothers Presidency
* Obama is being blamed by all parties at this debate, for the rise of terror group ISIS due to his lack of action
* Christie defends his support for sending troops to Iraq after 9/11
* Carson is no comedian as his joke about needing a food taster if he went to Obama's White House falls flat
* Is Cruz still in this debate?
* Walker talking directly to camera....don't know why
* Paul is making a mini comeback and does not want boots on the ground due to failures in Iraq
* Fiorina proposes her plan for the military past and present
* Bush admits to smoking pot and that his mom will be mad
* Fiorina sets serious tone mentioning the burial of her child due to drug addiction
WHEN IS THIS OVER !!!!!!!!!!!

* Candidates are getting tired cause they are starting to agree with each other
* Is a question about vaccines linked to autism a Presidential question?????
* Hukabee wants a war on diseases to erradicate not cure
* Bush says Thatcher should be on ten dollar bill if a woman is to be put on it.......what?!...Prime Minister of UK on American currency??? Loopy answer
* Bush comes back strong with answer to what code name he would use as President...the answer references high energy, a response to Trump calling Bush very low energy
* Trump says his Code name would be "humble"

Candidates give closing statements to the question " if you are elected President how would the world look different after you leave".

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Have you ever had a friend who tells you about a show that is so great, you have to watch it? Well that was the key to opening the path to "bingdome" for me. In order to enter said path, we need to delve into the genesis.

When 24 the TV show first came out, Keifer Sutherland had flowing blonde hair and could muster a smile. Over time he has morphed into the full blown Jack Bauer we have all come to love. Following him on his epic 24 hour journeys.

I was in college and dating this girl at the time . We had gotten through the hot and heavy part of the relationship and had now settled into "comfort delux". Sitting at home on the weekend watching TV and having lots of relaxation (wink wink). But even that had run its course.

We were discussing what to watch and at that moment the light bulb came on...Let's go rent 24 at Blockbuster said I. The spot back in the day where you walked through the different aisles picking movies off the rack and picking up popcorn packs on the way out. I miss Blockbuster...but she ignored the side chicks and got left out in the cold.

We picked up only the first season of 24, because my gf wasn't sure she would like it. So there we were watching this show as it slowly would us up and boom!!!!!!!!hooked us in. As soon as we finished the first season, in one sitting we looked at each other and smiled with our faces gleeming with the same passion as when we started dating. We were hooked and flushed with blood to the face. We rushed back to blockbuster and picked up the remaining seasons and binged on them till the last drop.

The act of binge watching is all too common today. Why go to the movies and spend a silly amount of money on a movie, that might be good? Hours wasted in a cramped classroom with people you don't know. Don't get me wrong; going to the movies with family and friends is the most "disney"act ever. But nothing beats watching a plethora of characters go through an assortment of challenges over years and decades in one sitting.

Season one of 24 had a young Jack Bauer with his wife and kid, but he also had a coworker who was also his ex, and she might be a double agent (no spoilers here buddy). He did whatever it took to keep America safe. Fast forward or should I say binge forward to the last season with Jack as the lead, he has lost his wife and his ex, and another ex and his daughter has moved on, while he is being turned over to the Russians, routinely one of America's enemies (at least on the show)....fade to black

I still binge today on shows like House of Cards, Daredevil, The Killing and recently Iron Fist. We are a little older now, no walk in rentals anymore, just robots spitting out movies after you insert your credit card and streaming online without moving an inch. Progress, I guess.

Monday, May 1, 2017

It's almost Cinco de Mayo again. How do I know? Well every first day of May, my mouth gets extra thirsty and its not for water. I used to salivate at the prospect of downing as many bottles and shots of alcohol as possible to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

What is Cinco de Mayo anyway? Mexican independence? Nope, that's September 16. So I knew what I had to do. Research. I looked it up and then understood why I used to celebrate the day with such gusto. It was a day celebrating Mexico's win over the French at the battle of Puebla in 1862.
(Pause)
I'm not Mexican and I'm not French. The day meant absolutely nothing to me.

But back then, it meant something to me. I had lost a close relative and was not dealing with it well. I had spurned God and counselling for nights of drinking to soothe the beast within.

It all came to a head on one particular day.
All I can remember is a young bartender being black and beautiful and her name could have been Guinness for all I cared. She was going to make me feel good with her magic elixir. She took my order of Long Island Ice Tea, my go to drink at the time and so it began. I lost count of how many I ordered. I used to do two drinks and that was it, but someone dared me or so I thought and from that moment decided, no one could out drink me. Back to the bartender, guess what? She didn't stop sending me drinks. It went on for hours before I realized I had lost all semblance of self. I was floating in a collage of colors, sounds and time.

It didn't take long for my body to reason with me. I threw up all over the bar, stool and floor. It was a disaster. People looked at me with disdain and pity.

I couldn't stop, I had lost control. I was carried out by security and sat outside like a bum. I cried my eyes out that night, sad , alone and broken into pieces. I stumbled
my way home on foot and crashed on my bed.

When I got up the next morning, I caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror wearing a puke covered shirt. It was an image that became imbedded in my brain. It stuck with me. I looked like a sad, drunk clown that the joke was on. Enough was enough.

Today I'm proud of the fact that Cinco de Mayo comes around and I don't have the thirst. I am now a full fledged Teetotaler, joining my brethren from 19th century Preston, England to fully abstain from liquor and alcohol. God and family have replaced that hole and reminded me of a better way...

This story is dedicated to the beggar on the street who was given money by musician Davido, while he posted it on social media

Once upon a time in a land far far away there lived many animals, among them was Mr Peacock and Mr Rat. Everyday Mr Peacock would get up early in the morning and brush his feathers on his way to work and everyday he would come across Mr Rat, who would ask Mr Peacock for a pebble to feed his family..(in this land pebbles were scarce and therefore had become the local currency).

Every time Mr Peacock would oblige and give Mr Rat a pebble without hesitation. Mr Peacock never thought twice and willingly gave even when others would refuse. Just the other day alone ms kangaroo and ms hen refused to give a pebble to Mr Rat, let alone their phone numbers. Even big daddy elephant, who almost trampled Mr Rat on his way to work, refused to give him a pebble. Mr Rat was the lowest, most despised of all the animals.

A year later Mr Peacock lost his job and did not have enough pebbles to pay for his house. So one day he went to look for a new job and on his way to the interview, he was expecting to see Mr Rat at his usual spot, begging for pebbles; he even had a pebble in his pocket to give, despite not having enough. But Mr Rat was not there. Mr Peacock went on to his interview and was shocked when he saw Mr Rat at the same job site.

Mr Peacock: "Are you also looking for a job?"
Mr Rat: " Oh no, I'm not"
Mr Peacock: "so what are you doing here?"
Mr. Rat: " Im the boss, I own this"
Mr Peacock stood in utter silence and shock. He could not find the words to describe what he was feeling.

Giving should be natural and without thought, you just give because you can and are able to. Giving should never be a marketing ploy or an opportunity to show how better off you are than someone else.

What is wrong with wonder woman?
At this point the super hero formerly known as Wonder Woman should just return to her island and never come back.

She has endured enough humiliation and rejection from us. Forgotten and abandoned for men in black and in their underwear. Is she going to get her own movie? And why has she been constantly over looked? Is it her outfit that is not politically correct for today? It can't be her strength as a warrior; now more than ever women are running things, so why not go with the flow, boys.

Except for the old classic TV show back in the 70s and the ill fated return a couple of years ago, wonder woman is M.I.A.....Ooops, correction, we just made a boo boo, the aforementioned show a couple of years ago was actually The Bionic Woman, our point made.

In comic book lore, she is a strong member of the Justice League, yet Batman continues to get recycled, Superman gets microwaved back to us again, even Green Lantern got a movie. But Wonder Woman has to wait for Superman to find himself, beat Batman for looking at Lois Lane the wrong way, before she is even mentioned. Enough already, give her a movie, please.

An African superhero from Wakanda??? What? Are you high? No of course not. The black panther is what happens when imagination meets opportunity. A chance to tell an original superhero story about an African with powers, and here is the kicker...he doesn't abuse it, at least we haven't read that yet.

The black panther movie will be out in 2018, which is more than enough time to read up on this fairly obscure hero from the marvel universe, from a nation that doesn't exist.

Ok pop quiz! We are going to name 5 African countries and we dare you to pick the one that's not real.
(No looking it up and Africans are prohibited from answering)..you ready? Here we go.....
Kenya, Narobia, Ethiopia, Uganda and Somalia......Did you get it? Probably not. Narobia is not a real country nor is Wakanda, where the black panther is from.
As per Marvel, Wakanda is a technologically advanced African nation that is the home of Vibranium. The same material that is used to build Captain America's shield. But hold up? Wakanda is what? An African nation that is technologically advanced???? Well this must be a vision for the future, because African nation and advanced are rarely used in the same sentence. This is no thanks to African leaders who have plundered their nation's natural resources and left their countries poor and underdeveloped.

According to the comics, the black panther's father T'Chaka, was a great leader who strategically turned his nation into a utopia ( no, Utopia is not a country, but we agree it should be). But alas, a villain named Ulysses Klaw decides he must have Vibranium and he won't take no for an answer. As has happened to African nations during colonial times, leaders who did not play ball were killed. Such was the fate of the original black panther.

We are curious to see how the movie looks when it comes out in 2018, hopefully by then Wakanda will be a reality for several African nations.